17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith Romans 1:16-17 (KJV)
Since the righteous shall live by faith, without faith none shall live. Truth does not mold the character of a man unless it is practiced. To see a truth, to believe a truth, does not mold the character unless it changes the purpose and the life. Faith apart from works is barren. James 2:20. And faith fits for the blessings of God by leading us to follow God in his ways, and so makes our character like God's character. Thus faith leads from one stage or degree of faith to another and higher one.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
James 2:23 (KJV)
Faith itself thus became an act of obedience which, in its exercise, and when, at the moment, there were no additional duties upon Abraham, God accepted as proof of Abraham's devotion. One must not from this assume that the exercise of belief bestowed upon Abraham blessings apart from and independent of any obedience; though this conclusion is often drawn, it is an erroneous and hurtful one. In the nature of the case, the promise of great posterity involved matters which would require considerable time for their development. There was nothing more, at the moment, for Abraham to do but to accept, without hesitation, the assurances of such from God. This, he did; and his acceptance became an act of righteousness which God, in his turn, accepted, and put to Abraham's account for righteousness (right-doing). It is a violent perversion of this passage and historic incident from it to assume that because Abraham's faith was accepted as an act of righteousness when there was nothing else required of him at the time that in our case faith will suffice without the performance of those conditions which are required of us now. Even in Abraham's case, as James so clearly shows, the patriarch's faith did not reach its consummation, its fulfillment, until it had translated itself into action in the offering of Isaac.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
James 2:24 (KJV)